Wedding photographer Hugh Whitaker says he originally met Miriam and Jordi, wedding photographers themselves, over Instagram. “I’ve always been a big fan of their work,” he says, “and they are incredibly talented. When they invited me to Valencia in Spain to shoot their intimate wedding, it was probably one of the biggest compliments I could have received.”

All Photos © Hugh Whitaker

The plan was simple: to have a very personal and intimate elopement where they would exchange vows and rings at one of their favorite spots in Denia, a beautiful little town just South of Valencia, Spain. Afterwards they would have a party with their closest friends under the stars and amongst a grove of orange trees.

“As with everything in Spain, the party started late at night and continued through the early hours of the morning,” Whitaker describes. “As the sky started to break into dawn, we made the decision to head back up a mountain that they love, spending time on catching the sunrise. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to document this day. Spain has always been a destination that I’ve wanted to shoot in and getting to shoot such an intimate and romantic elopement for other wedding photographers was a huge honor. The were many, many things that made this wedding so special.”

Says the couple: “We shoot weddings, so we’ve been able to choose from all of them what we like and what we don’t. We never really talked about that, but we both knew we wanted a small party, with our closest friends and a big BBQ. And about the ceremony, although we love cuddling, we don’t really show our love to the world, so to make it perfect and feel it in all our senses, we thought the best way would be making it just for each other.”

“There were no complicated plans or timelines, and there was nothing that could go wrong, so nothing did,” Whitaker says. “Their elopement was scheduled just after sunset, which was an absolute dream come true for me. I love shooting at this time of day as the light is incredibly directional but still soft—of course the even bigger bonus being that we then got to watch the sky turn back to day the next morning. I don’t know why I love dusk and dawn so much, it’s so much more then just the light—there is a magic in the air that is indescribable. Miriam and Jordi said their vows in Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish and at first, I have to admit, I was a little sad not being able to understand what they were saying to each other. What I didn’t expect was how much more aware I was of every single gesture and look. Photographing and watching such an intimate moment and only understanding it through the visual cues was really special. Miriam and Jordi are two of the kindest, most gentle and hospitable people I have ever met. My time in Spain around them and their friends will go down as one of my fondest memories.”

Gear of the Day:

Camera: Nikon D750 (x2)
Lens: Nikon 35mm 1.4g, 58mm 1.4g, 24mm 2.8d
Light: Nikon SB910 flash (“I keep my gear really light and simple so I don’t have to think too much about it.”)

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